Didier Ruef (b.1961, Switzerland) graduated in Economics from the University of Geneva and later studied photojournalism at ICP in New York. Since returning to Switzerland in 1987, he began working as a photojournalist and has visited all five continents, with a preference for Africa. He was a member of Network Photographers Agency in London from 1991 to 1997 and a founding member of Pixsil from 2002 to 2009. He is currently represented by Cosmos in France, Luz Photo in Italy, Visum in Germany and Bildbyran Silver in Scandinavia. His photographs have been published in Time, The Observer Magazine, Daily Telegraph, Le Monde, among others. He has published several books and has been involved in a worldwide project about man and waste which he plans to publish next year.

About the Photograph:

“I made this photograph in Angola with Médecins Sans Frontières as part of an essay on the waste of war. While walking in the late afternoon between the houses, I came upon the picture I was looking for. Chance may not be the accurate word because I was already in Menongue for a week and had been walking all around town looking for a scene which showed daily life and the side effects of war. I moved closer to the scene and shot a few pictures of an old woman crushing corn in front of her house with a destroyed T72 tank in her courtyard. I tried to talk to her when she took a break, but she could not understand or speak Portuguese.”

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Photographer and photo editor Geoffrey Hiller has created Verve Photo to feature photographs and interviews by the finest contemporary image makers today. Verve Photo is a reminder of the power of the still image. Verve Photo will also point you to new photo agencies, publications, and inspiring multimedia projects.